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Psychology Today has revealed that ‘when NBA players touch teammates more, they win more’ . High fives, fist bumps, chest bumps, leaping shoulder bumps, head slaps and grabs and team huddles have all been shown to help a player achieve success in performing a key move, such as a rebound, point, block or steal, during a game.

In short, the article tells us that you can use basketball psychology tips to increase performance. There is evidence to demonstrate that touching and body contact during a match can improve your team’s chances of winning the game.

So how does this work?

Basically, touching-behaviours, such as high fives, group huddles, and half or full hugs increase the levels of trust and cooperation within your team. Engaging in these behaviours increases both your own performance as well as the overall performance of your team.

Psychology Today’s article is based on a study called ‘Tactile Communication, Cooperation and Performance: an Ethological Study of the NBA,” published in Emotion journal by Michael W Kraus, Cassy Huang and Dacher Keltner. The study utilises a complicated measure of performance that doesn’t just include winning and losing, but also other factors such as scoring efficiency. The study eliminates factors that contribute towards a win such as early season performance, expert predictions and player salaries, to demonstrate a clear correlation between touching-behaviours and performance.

How can you use this information to improve your performance?

By carrying out the following actions, you can use basketball psychology tips to improve your chances of winning a game:

1. Huddle before games, during and after games
2. Try to touch your teammates – by using fist-pumps, high fives, head grabs – or whatever feels comfortable for you, as often as possible.
3. Talk and gesture to your teammates throughout the game.
4. Pass the basketball to your teammates who are less closely defended.
5. Help your teammates on defence.
6. Help your teammates when they tying to escape defensive pressure.

All of the above tips have been taken directly from the Psychology Today article, which tells us that any behaviour where you need to rely on your teammates for help will help increase trust and cooperation within your team, and ultimately, help your team to win.

Now that there is some direct evidence in the touching-cooperation-performance link, you might as well use this to your advantage. Touching is not only socially acceptable, but beneficial. This research is only the tip of the iceberg of the benefits of using psychology tactics to win a game. Stay tuned for more tips in upcoming articles.

As you hit the court, remember that psychology plays a significant part in your team’s success. According to Psychology Today, touching and body contact can improve your team’s chances of winning the game. Whether it’s a high-five or a fist-bump, physical touch can increase trust and cooperation among teammates. And don’t forget to show your team spirit with a stylish lanyard! Our collection of basketball lanyards comes in various designs and colors. Shop Now and find the perfect lanyard to represent your team. Get Instant Quotes on our selection of high-quality lanyards designed specifically for basketball players, and take your game to the next level with confidence!

All university and college graduates are confronted with one big question upon graduation: where to from here? It is a moment often tainted with a glimmer of uncertainty – will you succeed in the real world? Nowhere does this ring more true than for the aspiring professional basketball player.

So you have finished college or university, either in the US or on home turf in Australia. You were good enough to get into your college or university on a basketball scholarship, and you’ve improved your skills over the past three of four years. But, where to from here?

Michael Oakes, Australian athlete manager and accredited FIBA agent, asserts that it is important to objectively and realistically assess your talent. Only a small number of college graduates make it in the professional arena: only 2-3 rookie spots are offered each year in the NBL and WNBL, and only 60 players are drafted each year for the NBA and WNBA. So what steps can you take to assure that you have the best chance possible of success?

1. If you are eligible for dual citizenship anywhere within the European Union, apply now. There are restrictions on the number of imports that a team can take, plus, your position on the team as an import is always volatile. Playing as a European Citizen has benefits in terms of your job security, pay and competitive edge.
2. The NBL and WNBL are often the launch pad of a career in the NBA/WNBA or in Europe. Landing a position in the NBL/WNBL provides you with the opportunity for intensive training, and puts you in the spotlight for a future position in the USA or Europe. Prior to landing a spot in the NBL/WNBL, consider joining a senior state league and competing in SEABL. Although the training is not as intensive, and these leagues often to do not strength and conditioning training programs, it may provide you with a springboard into an NBL/WNBL position.
3. The NBA and WNBA are renowned as the best leagues in the world, and boast an international array of players. If this is your end-goal, training in an intensive draft prep camp, or summer development program, can increase your chances of being drafted for a team. Similarly, obtaining a position in the NBL/WNBL or a European team will increase your recognition within the US market.

Regardless of where you want to end up as a professional basketball player, whether it be as a player for the NBL/WNBL, NBA/WNBA or Europe, it is important to strategically plan your next move, straight from college or university. Stay focused, keep your goal in mind and grasp onto every opportunity within reach, on an international and national level. If you truly believe you have what it takes, then push to go pro after your basketball college career.

As you lace up your CAPS and hit the court, remember that becoming a professional basketball player requires strategic planning. According to Michael Oakes, Australian athlete manager and accredited FIBA agent, only a small number of college graduates make it into the professional arena.

For more chances of success, consider joining a senior state league and competing in SEABL or training in an intensive draft prep camp. Our collection of basketball CAPS comes in a range of colors and designs for your style. Visit this link today and find the perfect CAPS to represent your team. Request a quote on our selection of high-quality CAPS designed specifically for basketball players, and take your game to the next level with confidence!

Basketball is a game that involves a variety of skills, conflicting personalities and constant exposure to scrutiny of the millions of fans following the on court and off court action of their favorite NBA teams and players. These conditions can pretty much cause anyone to lose their marbles, let alone some of the world’s most recognised basketball players. From constantly griping about calls or just point-blank jackass behaviour, here are some of the most memorable tantrums and outbursts in basketball history.

1. Bad Boy Bill Laimbeer

Bill Laimbeer has a pretty bad rep: he has punched people, clotheslined people and body-slammed people. The video compilation above attests to his very physical nature and ‘bad boy’ label. It a pity that Laimbeer’s borderline assaults often overshadow the fact that he had 13,790 points and 10,400 rebounds in his career.

2. Dennis Rodman headbutts in rage

Dennis Rodman was ejected during a game in March of 1996 and didn’t exactly take kindly to it. Instead of leaving the court compliantly, Rodman threw a fit and stomped around for a few seconds before headbutting the referee – and he wasn’t done. When escorted off the court by Luc Longley, the angry basketballer took off his jersey on the sidelines, threw it back onto the court, and in one last move before he was suspended for six games without pay, Rodman shoved the water cooler over and stormed off.

3. Rasheed Wallace and his hatred for towels

Rasheed Wallace is admired as a great defensive player, but he is also a man who threw more temper tantrums than anyone else in NBA history. Though, it appears that he had a particular attraction towards throwing towels. The video above and this scene serve as proof.

4. The near fatal punch of Kermit Washington

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BI8nVJLHDMo

One of the most notorious cheap shots in NBA history is when Kermit Washington attempted a near-fatal punch at Rudy Tomjanovich. The incident was so scandalous that author John Feinstein penned a novel around it entitled “The Punch: One Night, Two Lives, and the Fight that Changed Basketball Forever.”

5. ‘Malice at the palace’

This is arguably the ugliest incident in sports history as both players AND fans traded punches. Infamously known as ‘The Malice At The Palace,’ the melee happened on November 19th, 2004, at the end of a blowout between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. It all started with Vernon Maxwell charging into the stands to punch a cup-hurling fan, David Stern, who was taunting him. In all, nine players from both teams were suspended for a total of 146 games.

Australian basketball players are increasingly finding their way to international shores, especially in the NBA. Some say it is the Australian way of hard work and persistence that make US coaches and scouts consider them for selection, others mention that it’s “the result of a steady growth model three decades in the making“. Regardless of the reasons why, below is a list of a few high performance basketballers hailing from the land down under.

1. Andrew Bogut

Two-time Olympian Andrew Bogut plays as a centre for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA. The 31-year-old has received praises for playing a crucial role in the team, which is best described in a Guardian article – “Bogut is the crux of Golden State’s defense and creates important space for team-mates in attack – his screens are a core element of their offensive play.” To top it all off, Bogut was selected as the first overall pick in the NBA for Milwaukee in 2005.

2. Matthew Dellavedova

This professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA was ranked one of the top junior players in Australia. Rated as the #73 shooting guard recruit for the 2008–09 recruiting season, Matthew Dellavedova contributed for the Gaels and started each of the first 15 games of the season for the team. In the following season, the Maryborough-raised basketballer averaged 12.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.

3. Patrick Mills Patrick

Mills represented Australia at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, where he averaged a team-best 14.2 points. He was first selected in the NBA in 2009, and won his first NBA championship with San Antonia Spurs in 2014. The Canberra-raised point guard is undoubtedly skilled, so much so that five-time title-winning coach Gregg Popovich has mentioned “some nights things aren’t going that well and the team doesn’t have it, but you can count on Patty Mills to come in and give everything.”

4. Aron Baynes

Only getting a true feel of basketball in his late teens, Aron Baynes was quick to attract the attention of basketball coaches across Queensland. He was able to represent the state by 2002, and was offered a scholarship after the state championships with the Australian Institute of Sport. He was nominated for the NBA draft in 2009, after a short stint playing for the LA Lakers summer league team and before taking his game to Europe. Today, Baynes is the only Euroleague baller to post remarkable double-double averages of 15 points and 10 rebounds per contest.

5. Cameron Bairstow

By the time Cameron Bairstow was a senior in the University of New Mexico, he had completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the school’s history by doubling his previous season’s scoring average, putting up 20.4 points per game. He has remained consistent since then, with the Bulls’ general manager Gar Forman commending Bairstow’s style of play and highlighting the basketballer’s combination of size, energy as well as physicality as the reason they were keen on him.

As Australian basketball players like Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, Patrick Mills, and many more take the court, they’re prepared to sweat it out in their high-performance basketball socks. Our collection of socks is designed to keep you dry and comfortable during those intense matches. Order here to get the perfect pair that match your style and keep your feet happy. Get free quotes on our selection of high-quality basketball socks designed specifically for basketball players, and take your game to the next level with confidence!